傅雷家書

Two Fu Lei’s Family Letters

(Fu Lei)

1954 年 10 月 2 日

October 2, 1954

聰，親愛的孩子。

My Dear Son Cong:

We are pleased to have received your sixth letter dated September 22.

我們並沒為你前信感到什麼煩惱或是不安。

However, we do not feel disturbed or worried because of what you wrote in your previous letter.

我在第八封信中還對你預告，這種精神消沉的情形，以後還是會有的。

In my eighth letter, I forewarned you that these bouts of depression would happen again in the future.

我是過來人，決不至於大驚小怪。

I’ve been there, and so I am not at all surprised that happened.

你也不必為此擔心，更不必硬壓在肚裡不告訴我們。

Also you shouldn’t worry about it. More so, you shouldn’t hold it inside you and don’t tell us about it.

心中的苦悶不在家信中發洩，又哪裡去發洩呢？

If you can’t air your lonesomeness in a family letter, where else can you let it all out?

孩子不向父母訴苦向誰訴呢？

To whom could a child vent his grief other than to his parents?

我們不來安慰你，又該誰來安慰你呢？

We don’t come along to console you, who should comfort you instead?

人一輩子都在高潮——低潮中浮沉，惟有庸碌的人，生活才如死水一般；

During our lifetime, our moods go up and down like a yo-yo. Only lives of mundane people stay flat like still water.

或者要有極高的修養，方能廓然無累，真正的解脫。

Alternatively, well-seasoned people stay tranquil and relaxed without real concerns.

只要高潮不過分使你緊張，低潮不過分使你頹廢，就好了。

It is fine so long as emotion highs do not stress you out and emotional lows do not drain you.

太陽太強烈，會把五穀曬焦；雨水太猛，也會淹死莊稼。

Overly scorching sun would fry grain-plantsand excessively in undating rain would drown farm-crops.